Mummy of a Child Star

I’m the single mummy of twelve year old actress/singer Aria Wallace.

You may know her as “Roxy Hunter” or Hilary Duff’s little sis in “The Perfect Man”.  I’m also proud mom to nine year old competitive gymnast Daylia Wallace. We’ve been making our way through Hollywood for 7 years.

Luxurious Days at the Spa, Shopping on Rodeo Drive, Driving around Hollywood and Beverly Hills in Bentleys. That’s what life is like being a mummy of a child star, right?  So WRONG! 

Barely making ends meet, finding new ways to spice up Top Ramen Noodles for dinner, printing scripts to help learn lines, homeschooling in the car while driving from private coaching to audition, then rushing to the next audition scheduled 30 minutes later, from town to town.  And guess what – there are probably 500 child stars and mummies going to the same auditions. 

Then we wait for a callback, only to hear, “Oh she’s just not the right look”, or “She’s too young, or too old”. Then we get up and do it all again.  

Aria won the coveted role of Roxy Hunter when she turned 9. She had been working for 4 years and finally booked the role she had always dreamed of getting!

Stardom has sacrifices, and is hard work. Once you book the job, it’s sitting on set for 9 ½ hours a day. You have to be on set at all times, making sure your child is getting the bathroom break they need, trying to stay out of the hundreds of crew members way so not to be called a “stage mom.

During the filming of Roxy Hunter and the Myth of the Mermaid filmed in Toronto, there was a huge blizzard. It was incredibly cold, but most of the filming was outdoors at night!! We were frozen, even in 10 layers of clothing. Aria got really sick but being the lead role in almost every scene, she had to keep going. 

I ask her all the time, if this is still what she loves to do. “Absolutely without a doubt” she says.

So we keep going. Charity and promotional events every weekend, squeezing in a vocal lesson or piano lesson, sitting up at night updating websites, Facebook and Twitter accounts, figuring out the best way to market my kid differently than thousands of others doing the same.

There is a huge misconception of what life is like for child stars, their mummies and families.  Anyone dying to get their kids into this industry for the lifestyle of the rich and famous are doing it for the wrong reasons.  But if your child has passion and drive, wants this more than anything, and you’re both willing to persevere, then it can be full of wonderful life lessons.

The most  important job of a mummy of a child star is to keep your kids grounded and give them as much of a “normal” life as possible, protecting them from the ugliness of this business.

Here are some tips:

Tell them you love them everyday and support them no matter what.

Keep them involved in church, extracurricular activities, and family life. 

Do not let this business ever become the most important thing in their young life! Keep them involved in other things, so that if it doesn’t work out, or they aren’t busy, they have something else to fall back on.

Don’t be the friend - be a parent.
Just because these child stars become famous and have power in the world, let them know who is still boss at home!!! Give them boundaries.

This can be a very grownup business but they need to be treated as children. Keep them kids!

Try to find some time for mummy You will need to keep your sanity. Take yoga or something to relieve the stress!! Don’t forget yourself and your importance in their lives!

Remember what’s important - family and friends. Don’t ever forget it!!

 

"